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DRAFT Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday, October 21, 2013 <br /> Page 10 <br /> was exceeding the ability to provide enforcement at this point, and created more <br /> questions than answers. <br /> Councilmember McGehee stated that she would prefer erring on the side of public <br /> health and safety; and opined that the City Council should rely on staff's research <br /> rather than allowing something to go forward and creating difficulties in enforce- <br /> ment. <br /> McGehee moved, Etten seconded, enactment of Ordinance No. 1455 (Attachment <br /> A) entitled, "An Ordinance Amending Title 3, Section 306.01; Relating to Tobac- <br /> co Products" as presented by staff; revising the definition of tobacco products to <br /> include ALL e-cigarettes and similar devices. <br /> City Attorney Gaughan stated that he was not making any value judgments or an <br /> endorsement for or against this ordinance amendment, but thought it important <br /> that the City Council kept in mind that authority for any municipal regulations of <br /> any cigarettes came under State law, with cities allowed to impose regulations to <br /> combat the danger of second-hand smoke, even though that was an outdated term <br /> of phrase given new technologies. Mr. Gaughan stated that the concern he <br /> couldn't get past was that, in the absence of clear research and study regarding <br /> what is in that vapor, could the City say dangers of second-hand smoke were be- <br /> ing emitted; an answer he could not provide at this time. If the City Council con- <br /> sidered regulating something that they had no actual basis for doing, indicating <br /> that the vapors were dangerous, Mr. Gaughan questioned on what the City Coun- <br /> cil was basing their enforcement; and without that basis, could be found arbitrary <br /> and capricious by a court of law. <br /> Councilmember McGehee opined that since there was little to distinguish how to <br /> evaluate the substance contained in vapors, whether nicotine or not, and no cur- <br /> rent regulation of the product generated in that vapor due to so little regulation at <br /> this time, she found it to clearly be an imminent health risk. Councilmember <br /> McGehee opined that the City would therefore be remiss in not taking preventa- <br /> tive action until they were provided firm, conclusive proof that there was no dan- <br /> ger. <br /> Councilmember Laliberte stated that she found the opposite to be true, question- <br /> ing why the City would take action before that data was available; and since the <br /> State and FDA were currently working on it, she opined that it was premature for <br /> the City to act on this ordinance when enforcement would be difficult. With her <br /> obvious concern being sales to minors, with that provision apparently being ad- <br /> dressed by individual establishment owners, Councilmember Laliberte opined that <br /> if someone wanted to smoke something, they had the freedom to do so. <br /> Councilmember Willmus opined that the City Attorney had done a good job rep- <br /> resenting the City in his opinion with this matter; opining that the City currently <br />